The Environment ReviewUnit 1

Pollution The introduction of harmful materials

into the environment is called pollution!

Pollution is anything that harms the environment – land, water or air.

Help for Pollution You can help solve the problem of

land pollution by reducing the amount of trash you create, reusing instead of buying new and recycling.

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is a government agency that serves us by forming laws and regulations to protect the environment.

Our Water The surface of the

Earth is only covered by about 3% freshwater. (The rest is ocean water or frozen in ice caps.)

The main source of our drinking water is groundwater.

DANGER! DDT is a dangerous pesticide

that was used to kill bugs and was found to be harmful to animals and people.

Mercury is a dangerous mineral to humans and can often cause problems if you eat too much fish that has lived in a contaminated area.

Air Pollution The mixture of smoke, fog and

chemicals is often referred to as smog.

The main cause of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas.

The burning of fossil fuels also can cause• Acid Rain• Global warming

Nuclear Power Nuclear power is

LESS harmful than coal burning power, but it can cause heat pollution in lakes which can cause fish kills.